UKC

Killian and Zach Miller's e-mail to "top athletes" to boycott the UTMB has been leaked:

https://www.instagram.com/p/C14Jl4FM-YG/?igsh=MWZ4ZWlnenllbGoxZg==

Felt something like this might have been on the cards after the WAM/Whistler/UTMB debacle but interesting to see how this plays out.

Although IronMan have denied that they did this and it was coincidence.  They do have a track record of being bastards, Penticton tri wouldn't sell to IM, so they set up a race on the same day not far away as a spoiler.   The other foot shooting was firing Corrine Malcolm from the commentator team as she was critical of IM/UTMB - that came from UTMB in Chamonix apparently.

In case anyone is wondering what the issues are:

https://garyrobbinsrun.com/blog/2023/10/what-really-went-down-in-whistler

https://runningmagazine.ca/trail-running/utmb-fires-livestream-commentator/

Corrine's criticism of UTMB / IM revolved around them having created a closed environment to force people to collect their "stones" that expire, so making people to do their races as a money making exercise.

Personally I'm boycotting UTMB now, which is absolutely nothing to do with the fact that I'm too slow and would get timed out at the first cut-off. 

Oh gawd, is this "drama" going to spread to every corner of the Internet

It will make little difference to the vast majority of runners and idle spectators if a few professional runners choose to race elsewhere.

I just pray that they don't poison whichever other race they turn their attention to. 

I guess mine is lost in the post.

It doesn't sound to me like it's the runners who are the poisonous ones here.

Well I've read all the links and it's still not very clear what's going on. Sounds like some are a tad miffed that the races they organise have been given the cold shoulder in favour of races from a large corporate entity.

Are UTMB/Ironman merely using their clout to get prime position or have I missed something.

Now whilst I appreciate that this behaviour hasn't been exactly all nice and polite, it's quite analogous to a corner shop being forced out by a Sainsbury's local (or is it Tesco local). And whilst I sympathise with the "informal & small is beautiful" organisers and hope that the tried for boycott leads to more harmonious relationships between the various parties, however much we don't like it, this is unfortunately the way of the western world - it is I believe called capitalism. 

I'm not sure that they are any less poisonous than anyone or anything else that is in it for the money.

They are partly responsible for raising UTMB to the cult status that makes it so hard for lesser runners to get an entry.

It may be better if they don't inflict similar problems on any of the other great races that they have shown little interest in before now.

All the good runners enter a combination of the races they want to do, and the ones like UTMB that the sponsors want them to. So it is a bit unfair to say that people like Killian will now go and ruin smaller races they haven't previously bothered with - these folk do run smaller races just because they are fun.

Frankly the UTMB was a circus when I did it 10 years ago, and it seems to have got much more commercial since then. There are many better races, and more beautiful races, and ones with nicer organisation. For example, the UTMR (run by the wonderful Lizzie Hawker) has a brilliant reputation.

The problem may well be down to commercialisation and the requirements of sponsors.

But would it really do races like UTMR any favours if the elite athletes persuaded their sponsors that this was the "must do" race and turned them into a circus with all the problems that would entail?

The money is the problem and it seems unjust to blame just one race organiser for the issues that it causes.

Ironman is particularly unpleasant about how they do stuff though. They've built a brand and now they're absolutely kicking the arse out of it for every penny they can get by squeezing competitors, spectators and other events.

I'll admit to being biased against them having attended a few as a spectator. Did you know that they charge friends and family for entry to the prize-giving? It was £11 per person at Ironman UK a few years back. How manipulative is that? Of course you want to see your loved one get their prize and there are a lot of prizes in IM with 5 year age groups.

The UTMB was something I might have done in the past but IM involvement would have put me off as I don't want to support an organisation like that.

Doesn't sound great, they're exploiting people, and people are allowing themselves to be exploited.

It's far too easy (and they know this) to get into a position where they've tugged at emotions (e.g. want to see mummy get her "prize") and you spend the extra money rather than telling them to "go away".

Yeah, that's exactly the feeling I left with. I actually ended up not paying. I asked what I was paying for and the guy said it was for the food provided. However, they wouldn't let you in even if you weren’t eating. He was really embarrassed by it too and it puts volunteers in a very difficult position. The guy waved me through when I said I'd already eaten!

I think it’s more insidious than that. To qualify for UTMB they have long used a point system to qualify for their races. Points must be accumulated by doing other races that offer points. To offer these points races around the world must pay the UTMB organisers the privilege of doing so, which is an extra cost for other races. You could argue well if I’m a runner and I don’t care about UTMB so it makes no difference to me. Unfortunately now some races that are not directly linked to UTMB are now using the ITRA based point system as qualification criteria, e.g you only can enter said race if you have accumulated sufficient points. Which to me feels like a slow take over a sport by a commercial organisation I have no interest in paying. Obviously if you take part in fell races or hill races in the uk then this does not affect it, and are great as they, but other commercially led races are been stron armed into paying itra because it gives runners incentive to sign up for their races, in their opinion.

Also Ironman have been implicated as pushing ahead a triathlon in Ireland last year, despite safety concerns which led to the deaths of two people 

https://www.rte.ie/news/primetime/2023/0921/1406657-reports-into-ironman-ev...

Myself and I think others like the simplicity of running long distances in nice places. Its one of the few endurance sports not partially ruined by people spending thousand on kit and obsessing over marginal gains rather than the activity itself (see triathlon / cycling). I did two very amateur sprint triathlons and the vibe was very off putting compared to a local fell race.

The whole UTMB fiasco seems like a step towards that world of exclusivity and an attempt to overcomplicate a simple thing to make a few quid. 

I think it has been a progressive change in many sports where committees of volunteers give up their time, often buying the odd thing themselves and run events, now it's a become an industry where people make a living organising the same or similar events. However for that to be viable they need to make a margin on everything parking, food, entry fees versus prizes, then there is sponsorship etc.. This prices out many people and discourages volunteers, marshals and so on, which means the actual on the day quality of the event declines. 

Races with Élite runners don't have to be circuses. The Spine certainly isnt (although i have never done it as the idea of all that bog in January just don't appeal). The Tor des Geants is really well run, and has a much better and less commercial atmosphere.

Go to any large orienteering event the start and finish for a 5 year old starting out, a M75 old man walking it and M21Elite would usually be exactly the same. And because of how starts run they could even be stood in the start box together picking up their map at the same time. They all enjoy the same portaloos and food vans too! I think too many events are getting away from what the key component is or should be, the sport itself. 

What do you think turms a race into an oversubscribed circus?

Sure;y the elites, their sponsors and the imfuncers in the form of podcasters/youtubers must share a lot of the responsibility due to their excessie focus on UTMB over and above TDG, The Spine etc?

Is there a good and effective way for an event to manage the problems that will be encountered once other entities that are out to profit from the sport turn their focus onto it?

Ijust don't think it is as simple as the self appointed "community" like to imply and that theiractions have contributed to the issues that they are now so vocal about.

These are good questions. I think a lot of the answer is in the attitude and culture of the organisation.

The UTMB has always promoted itself hard, with top line sponsorship, a commercial village lasting 3 or 4 days pre race, multiple races etc. It has always felt like the Sponsors race, whereas other races in the area (one especially which I won't name for fear of spoiling it), have amazing reputations as being run for the Runners.

Some of the other races you mention have expanded - there is the Spine Challenger and various Tor races, but they don't seem to have lost their soul.

It's a tricky thing, getting enough sponsorship to run a race without selling out and losing what makes it special.

I took part in Ultra Trail Snowdonia last year (which also runs under the UTMB umbrella) and I was amazed at how commercialised it had become, even compared to the previous year. That, combined with a number of other criticisms of the event has convinced me to look for other events. I'm not expecting that to carry the same weight and Kilian's boycott though! I also agree with the comments about volunteers, if race entry is circa £250 and IM/UTMB are taking a profit, it somehow doesn't seem right that they rely on volunteers to manage the aid stations and park cars!

But you'll get a goodie bag of their sponsor tat. 

It's a digression but Ard Rock (mtb) has also gone the way of growing too big, imho. 

Is it also resulting in a commercialisation of the outdoors itself? There are loads of events charging £15 to run a 5k round a marked forest trail with your headtorch/dog/child/fancy dress outfit, plus extra for a medal at the end.

OK, it might get people into a healthier lifestyle or a greater appreciation of the outdoors, but it seems sort of exploitative.

Yes and no, park run?

Parkrun's an odd one. However it's free to the participants, welcomes everyone (maybe not so much runners with dogs). There's obviously a commercial side, but it's not overt.

To be fair UTS looked after the volunteers pretty well. I got travel and subsistance for the journey to and from the event, free accomodation and food during the event, 3 items of free clothng and a free entry to this years race.

UTMB's response:

https://montblanc.utmb.world/news/official-statement

TLDR: The email wasn't meant to go public, waffle, waffle, corporate guff.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C2fSruJIc30/?igsh=MXY4YWd0eXVmbnB0Mg==

Latest from Kilian. I can't work out how to just paste the text here (I'm on a phone), but basically they met with UTMB. Dialogue open I guess but no meaningful action yet.

Oh wow, that is pretty good then! And as a volunteer, did you feel the event coped with the number of runners there? I saw some very sparse aid stations and heard stories of rationing water etc. I was keen to see a Race Directors report but I don't think one was ever published. 

Just done my 500th parkrun. The model seems to offer the best of both worlds - volunteers are required to marshal, scan, timekeep etc but there is a strong community of volunteers. Originally it was expected that runners might volunteer three times a year, and people do when racing the next day or injured, but there is an option to subscribe to "parkrun forever" and give a small bit of cash in return for an unlikely prize. I have preferred to take this approach so my weekly fix costs me a quid, which goes to fund equipment purchases. Not sure how salaries are paid, assume sponsorship deals...

I was course marking and then assisting at the MCNW hut on the 100k and 100m courses where we had problems with vehicular access to bring suppplies in meaning that we had to haul water up the hill in backpacks and wheelbarrows.  I wasn't aware of any rationing of water although supplies ran tight and we were certainly asking runners not to pour drinking water over their heads or use it to wet their hats.

I think that every event that I have run in has had some aid stations that could have been judged as being a bit sparse, it is always wise to carry a reserve of stuff that you know you can stomach just in case. Perhaps one of my biggest fears with the UTMB world series format is that it is attracting a lot of runners into mountain running with a mindset that says they should carry as little as they can get away with.
 

I''d be careful expressing sentiments like that, it didn't seem very popular when I suggested that it wouldn't be a good thing if the commercialisation by elites runners and their sponsors spread to other races

I can think of at least 4 other races in broadly the same area that I won't be naming for fear of spoiling them but other runners are suggesting most of them as the race that should be chosen by runners who choose to boycott UTMB.